This invention relates broadly to women""s apparel and, more particularly, pertains to women""s undergarments formed with storage pockets especially useful in holding and concealing feminine hygiene products.
Women""s undergarments of the type worn above the lower trunk of the body assume a variety of forms using various amounts of material to create differently sized panties or the like. In as much as such garments are meant to be worn beneath outer garments and clothing, such undergarments have not been normally designed or intended to particularly carry personal items of the wearer. Although recent advancements have been made in the apparel art for the security of routinely carried personal items and valuables such as currency, credit cards, keys, identification, etc., in secure locations incorporated within the undergarment, such advancements are not directed to enabling a female to specifically carry a feminine hygiene product/sanitary pad on her person.
The use of undergarments with pockets is known in the prior art. More specifically, undergarments with pockets previously offered for the purpose of storing small objects are generally comprised of various structural arrangements notwithstanding the many designs of the prior art which have been developed for certain objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,195 to Klein discloses an undergarment having a series of pockets provided on a front side thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,823 to Ortmeier shows a women""s undergarment with a rear pouch for holding a microphone pack. U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,178 discloses an undergarment with an integral pocket such as for storing condoms.
While these patents provide their intended objectives, none of these set forth a women""s undergarment with one or more pockets which wrap around the sides of the undergarment to surreptitiously store a sanitary pad.
In this regard, the women""s undergarment with side pockets provides an article of apparel developed for the purpose of permitting a woman to conceal a sanitary pad immediately adjacent her body.
Whereas the prior art has traditionally provided purses, handbags and various carrying cases for sanitary pads, there is a continuing need for a women""s undergarment with a wrap around pocket structure for retaining sanitary pads in a manner which will give a woman an enhanced sense of confidence and privacy.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a women""s undergarment which has private pocket structure for women in need of discretely attending to their menstrual cycles.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a women""s undergarment which has private pocket structure for allowing concealment and permitting convenient access to feminine hygiene products.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a women""s undergarment with at least one storage pocket for receiving a full size sanitary pad.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a women""s undergarment that alleviates the need to carry women""s sanitary pads in a purse, handbag, gym bag or pocket of an outer garment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a women""s undergarment which will eliminate the need to carry a purse or handbag into a restroom, stop frequent trips to school or work lockers and prevent the embarrassing moments of sanitary pads accidentally falling from outer garment pockets or handbags and exposing the pads when opening a purse or handbag.
In another object of the present invention is used to provide a women""s undergarment having pocket structure for holding several sanitary pads so as to meet the needs of a menstruating woman for an entire day.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a women""s undergarment including a fabric body having a back, a front, side portions connecting the front and the back, a top, a bottom and a crotch. A waistband is secured to the top of the fabric body and leg openings are provided at the bottom of the fabric body separated by the crotch. Pocket structure is connected to and is located in the side portions of the fabric body. The pocket structure has a pair of side edges, a bottom edge and a top edge, either the top edge or the bottom edge being open, the pocket structure being sized and shaped to receive a women""s sanitary pad through the open edge. In the preferred embodiment, the pocket structure includes a first pair of identically sized pockets, each having a top edge opening along the waistband. The pocket structure further includes a second pair of identically sized pockets, each being located beneath a respective pocket of the first pair and having a top edge parallel to the bottom edge of a respective pocket of the first pair. The pocket structure is generally rectangular shaped and is connected to an exterior face of the fabric body. The pocket structure is coextensive with the side portions of the fabric body.
In a alternative embodiment, the pocket structure further includes a flap connected to and encircling the top of the fabric body beneath and in partial overlapping relationship with a bottom portion of the first pair of pockets, the flap defining a supplemental pocket for holding miscellaneous items. The flap has a continuous lower edge secured around the entire periphery at the top of the fabric body, and a continuous open upper edge which overlies the bottom portion of the first pair of pockets. The flap may also have a continuous upper edge secured about the periphery of the fabric body and a continuous unsecured lower edge which may be pulled up to conceal the first pair of pockets.